SOUtilities · Utilities - Regulated ElectricThe 23 Wall Street analysts covering The Southern Co. hold a median 12-month price target of $101 — +18.1% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 37 of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026 — in the lower half. The Street sees upside; the factor read is a caution. That gap is the story on this page.
Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores The Southern Co. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.
Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested
Volatility (92): The share price has been relatively steady.
Issuance (27): The company has been issuing shares or taking on financing, diluting existing holders.
Size (3): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.
Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.
The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on SO, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +18.1% from it.
Of the 20 most recent actions, 2 moved their price target up and 4 moved it down.
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Underweight | $92 → $89 |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | $100 → $97 |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | — |
| 27 July 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Outperform | $102 → $104 |
| 27 July 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Outperform | — |
| 23 July 2026 | Keybanc | Downgrade | Underweight | $79 |
| 23 July 2026 | Keybanc | Downgrade | Underweight | — |
| 22 July 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Outperform | $105 → $102 |
| 22 July 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Outperform | — |
| 16 July 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 16 July 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $101 → $104 |
| 18 June 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Equal-Weight | $99 → $98 |
| 18 June 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Equal-Weight | — |
| 29 May 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | — |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Truist Securities | Initiates | Hold | — |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Seaport Global | Downgrade | Neutral | — |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Equal-Weight | — |
| 6 Mar 2026 | TD Cowen | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 5 Mar 2026 | Evercore ISI Group | Upgrade | Outperform | — |
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.
Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. SO appears on the weeks it earns a place.
Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.
Over the twelve months to 18 Sept 2026, The Southern Co. returned −3.4% against +16.3% for the S&P 500, dividends included.
Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.
Data provided by Twelve Data
Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.
A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.
Cheaper than 36% of US stocks
Cheaper than 38% of US stocks
Cheaper than 38% of US stocks
Cheaper than 29% of US stocks
Higher than 27% of US stocks
Higher than 67% of US stocks
Higher than 63% of US stocks
Higher than 87% of US stocks
Higher than 78% of US stocks
Higher than 67% of US stocks
Higher than 67% of US stocks
Higher than 71% of US dividend payers
Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.
The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.
The Southern Co. has a market value of $98.4B and an enterprise value of $175.3B.
Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $30.2B. The latest quarter grew 0.1% year on year.
Net income over the same four quarters: $4.6B, a 15.2% net margin.
Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $4.15.
Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: −$3.3B.
The Southern Co. spent $3.1B on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.
Trailing P/E: 20.6×; forward P/E: 17.4× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.
Forward dividend yield: 3.56%, paying out 72% of earnings.
The Southern Co. employs 29,502 people — $1.0M of revenue per employee.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.
Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.
The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own The Southern Co. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →
In its most recent trading session, Southern Co. (SO) closed at $86.01, reflecting a -1.14% change from the previous trading day. The stock fell more steeply than the broader market in that session.
Why it matters — SO watchers would note that the stock underperformed the market in the latest session, indicating a relatively weaker trading day for the company.
Georgia Power, in partnership with state and local officials and leaders from Robins Air Force Base, celebrated the commercial operation of the Robins Battery Facility, a 128-megawatt battery energy storage system located near Warner Robins, Georgia. The new solar-connected facility adds storage capacity to the grid to help ensure reliable energy in the state.
Why it matters — This expansion of Georgia Power's battery storage capacity supports grid reliability in the utility's service territory, relevant to Southern Co. as its subsidiary.
This 24/7 Wall Street piece compares Southern Company and NextEra Energy as retirement-income dividend stocks, noting that one delivers more payout today while the other builds a larger income stream over time. The article weighs the two utilities' dividend appeal for 2026.
Why it matters — A Southern Company watcher would care because the comparison assesses the utility's current dividend yield against NextEra's long-term income growth, providing context on SO's attractiveness for income-focused investors.
The article highlights that dividend income from regulated utilities like Southern Company and Consolidated Edison faces tax withholding when held in taxable accounts, which reduces the effective yield before reinvestment. It notes that these two stocks look quite different depending on the type of account in which they are held.
Why it matters — Southern Company watchers would care because the tax treatment of its dividend could affect the real return they receive depending on whether the shares are held in taxable or tax-advantaged accounts.
The article highlights that AI data centers are rapidly doubling their power demands, and notes that regulated utilities securing long-term supply contracts could collect that revenue for decades. The Southern Co. is featured among five dividend-paying utility stocks positioned to provide power to these data centers.
Why it matters — As a regulated utility, The Southern Co. could capture decades of revenue from long-term contracts supplying power to rapidly growing AI data centers.
The 23 Wall Street analysts covering The Southern Co. have a median 12-month price target of $101, with estimates ranging from $79 to $114. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Of the 23 analysts covering The Southern Co., 7 rate it a Buy, 13 a Hold and 3 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks The Southern Co. 37 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 19 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.
As at 19 Sept 2026, The Southern Co. ranks 37 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Volatility (92 of 100).
No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 23 analysts implies +18.1% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks The Southern Co. 37 out of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.
No analyst covering The Southern Co. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for SO are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $79 to $114 over the next 12 months.
The Southern Co. returned -3.4% over the 12 months to 18 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
The Southern Company is a utility holding company that provides electricity and natural gas services across the United States. Through its subsidiaries, it serves retail and wholesale electric customers, operates power generation and battery energy storage assets, and develops distributed energy solutions such as microgrids for commercial, industrial, government, and utility users.
The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 15 Sept 2026): "Southern Co. (SO) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know". In its most recent trading session, Southern Co. (SO) closed at $86.01, reflecting a -1.14% change from the previous trading day. The stock fell more steeply than the broader market in that session.
The Southern Company is a utility holding company that provides electricity and natural gas services across the United States. Through its subsidiaries, it serves retail and wholesale electric customers, operates power generation and battery energy storage assets, and develops distributed energy solutions such as microgrids for commercial, industrial, government, and utility users. The company also manages regulated natural gas distribution in several states and offers energy-related services that support reliability, resilience, and infrastructure needs. In addition, The Southern Company has business interests in telecommunications and fiber-based connectivity. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and founded in 1945, The Southern Company plays a central role in regulated energy delivery, wholesale power supply, and essential utility infrastructure.
CEO Mr. Christopher C. Womack · 29,502 employees · United States · https://www.southerncompany.com
